


When Roses Bloom

by artificialbramble



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, F/F, Female!Katya, Fluff and Angst, Lesbian AU, Roommates, Trans Character, Trans!Trixie, pearlet, trixya - Freeform, witney
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-12-23 22:11:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11998953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artificialbramble/pseuds/artificialbramble
Summary: Katya has never been a fan of change, so when one of her roommates informs her that she is moving out, the blue-eyed girl knows her world will get flipped on its head. Or maybe she just likes to overreact. Just like she isn't a fan of change, Katya also doesn't like love. When change and love meet at a crossroad also known as Trixie Mattel, Katya feels like she will get knocked down.Trixie has always been conscious when it comes to new people entering her life. That being said, when two roommates open their door to give Trixie a place to stay she knows she will have to get used to it. Holding a secret close to her chest Trixie never planned on falling in love.Along the way they'll both make their fair share of mistakes and they'll learn to mend broken hearts.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I have had this idea brewing in a word document for a little while now and am finally confident enough to post it. This is the project of mine that has the longest chapters. If you like lots of fuck ups Trixya, side established Pearlet, oblivious slow-burn Witney, and mamma bear Peppermint this fic might be for you. Enjoy!

When Katya finds out one of her roommates is leaving the apartment she is upset. Not because she likes the girl, far from it, the loopy bitch is a complete nut job and that is coming from Katya. No, she is upset because she barely gave any notice of her departure, nowhere near enough time to find a new roommate.

It isn't even the fact she is leaving that upsets Katya, it's the fact they were only informed three days before the moving day, which meant the girl must have been looking for a new place for some time prior. Katya would like to say she is a good roommate but the truth was she didn't make much of an effort, still she isn't bad enough to drive someone away without so much of a word beforehand. She knows she could have tried harder, gotten to know the girl, her background, her story. Actually, ask how her day was when she got in from her course, what she was studying. Asked personally what she wanted from the shop instead of demanding her to leave her shopping list attached to the fridge, know her well enough to be able to surprise her with her favourite snack. Done all the things she does for Ginger with no questions asked. Maybe Katya should've done all those things, but that would've meant getting attached the girl and what was the point now? The girl is leaving?

However bad of a roommate Katya might have been to Vanessa, she believes it was common courtesy to give more than three days notice to moving out. Katya thinks it is a demonstration of respect to your roommates, people who  _need_ the rent, to give them at least a week minimum. And Katya wasn't given that.

Katya isn't upset, she is  _fuming._

Katya can only hope that next time is better. Sure, Vanessa always paid her rent on time and kept her nose out of Katya's business, but she hadn't made much of an effort either and communication is a two-way street. She has promised Ginger that no matter how little Katya gets on with the inevitable new roommate that she will at least  _try._

"Hey, Katya." She is still packing up the last of Vanessa's stuff when she hears her best friends voice coming from the hallway of the apartment. A couple of seconds later, Ginger comes into their former roommate's room holding an open cardboard box in her arms.

"What are we going to do, Bob Hoskins?" Katya asks with hopeless eyes, taping up the box she has just finished packing. She carefully scrawls 'books' on it with a sharpie and straightens her back. She stands up and walks over to the last pile of her ex-roommate's crap.

"Start looking for a new roomie first thing tomorrow morning," the short women states adjusting the hold of the box in her arms as Katya gently places the stuff into it. The blonde tapes up the book before struggling to write 'miscellaneous' onto it. "Now lets go, loser."

Katya lets out a heavy sigh as she bends down to pick up the box on the floor. She follows Ginger out the door and complains all the way down the stairs about how their former roommate chose a day the lift for the apartment block is out-of-order to move and how her arms hurt from carrying boxes down the stairs all day, boxes that aren't even hers. But before she knows it they are carrying the final two boxes down to the truck. Katya lets out a string of curse words as her toes catch on the edge of the rug in the main area, she could be curled up on the catch, watching TV or just reading a book, trying to at least enjoy her day off but no. Ginger offered to help with packing and dragged Kaya to do the same. And Katya does  _not_ understand her logic, at all, because as far as she is aware Ginger can't stand Vaness the most out of the two of them.

Her best friend doesn't make sense but Katya has no other option than to be ok with it.

After loading up the truck with the last two boxes the pair bump into Courtney who is laughing her head off, standing next to a flabbergasted Willam. Scanning the street in the general direction they are both looking, Katya lets out a loud roar of a laugh when she notices how her now ex-roommate has Jason pinned against one side of the truck. 

"She is eating their face!" Willam exclaims which only makes Courtney and Katya laugh even harder.

Ginger is just behind them all shaking her head as Jason is trying really hard to pull away. Jason takes a look at the four watching the interaction, and gently takes Vanessa's arms to unwrap them from their neck. The kiss ends there, and Jason feels like there is saliva all over their mouth. They gasp for air as they send an awkward smile to the girl in front of them, who is still staring at them with big dreamy eyes.

Satisfied with the kiss, Vanessa winks at Jason before waving to the other four. She opens the door of the passenger seat and climbs in, and like that she is gone.

"C'mon Jason, let's go wash out your mouth with soap before Matt can taste Vanessa on your tongue." Willam jokes as he tugs on their arm. The look on Jason's face resembles something to a rabbit caught in the headlights, which only makes Katya giggle.

"Please don't tell hi-" Jason begins to plea before Willam cuts them off.

"None of us have a death wish, don't worry your pretty little head." And with that the group makes their way back to their respective apartments but with Courtney opting to join the other two girls instead of going back with Willam and Jason.

"Should we, like make an ad or something?" Katya asks when they are back in the apartment.

"No don't make an ad, you'll attract all the murderers." Courtney chimes in. "Make a list."

"Yes! Let's make a list," Katya exclaims. "What about?" She asks with a chuckle.

"About what we are looking for in our new roommate," Ginger says with a grin on her lips turning around to find a pencil and notebook in her own bedroom. She returns a few moments later and gives them to Courtney so she can write for them.

"Can she be, like, taller than us?" Katya asks with hopeful blue eyes. "I've always been the tallest roommate and I think I deserve a break from climbing to get to the top shelf," she explains after receiving a confused look from her best friend.

Ginger laughs but nods and Courtney wastes no time in scribbling down point one. "Okay, what else?" The Aussie asks looking at the other two.

"She  _must_ be a girl," Katya suddenly says after a couple of minutes in silence. She has wide eyes and parted lips as she looks at Ginger expectantly. "I have never lived with a boy, never have, never will."

"Hey! Courtney protests after writing down 'must be girl' in the notebook. "I live with Willam and it isn't that bad at all."

"But that is Willam, that's different."

"Anyway," Ginger speaks up. "How about must be clean and responsible?" Katya nods and Courtney jots it down.

"Quiet," Katya adds.

"Funny," Ginger fires after a beat. "Actually, scratch that, I'm the funny one here."

"Excuse me?" Katya jabs at her playfully, not really taking any offence.

"Well, ladies, I guess that's all." Courtney smiles, ripping out the page and giving the paper to Katya. "Think you can find someone with all of that?" She asks curiously.

"I guess we'll find out when we start living with her," Katya reasons after revising the list.

"I'm going to go get ready and check on the other two, I'll see you later," shortly after Courtney was leaving the apartment.

"Don't suppose you fancy tagging along to Chuck's with us?"

"No," Katya quickly responds shaking her head.

"Come on, Kat, it's been so long since you hung out with all of us outside the apartment block," Ginger pleads. "It's not the same without you there."

"Why would I want to hang out somewhere, on my day off, where I work?" Katya questions with an arched brow.

"Because we're your friends and it’s a different experience when you're the customer, plus no one else besides me know you work there so that excuse won't fly with them." Ginger crosses her arms over her chest. "Unless you want to tell them what you actually do."

Chuck's is a local bar a few blocks away from the apartment block and every Friday night it holds a karaoke night. Katya isn't proud of her job she does at Chucks but it pays good money, nice company, and gives her self-esteem. She keeps it from as many people as she can, including her friends, but had to have someone to confide in so she chose the closest person to her, Ginger. Outside the pairs knowledge, the group discovered Chuck's through Courtney, who had found it last year when she planned on dragging Willam along to karaoke to forget a break up. The two ended up loving it there and so went back the next week, and the next, and the next until they eventually persuaded the rest of the gang to go along with them. Katya used to go every fortnight but slowly stopped going until she completely stopped a few months ago. It wasn't like she didn't want to hang out with her friends, quite opposite actually, she just never fairs too well in social environments that she isn't performing in. That being said, the fact she works there definitely doesn't add anything to reasons why Katya should go to Chuck's, it is just a disaster waiting to happen.

"Alright," Ginger clasps her hands together before pulling Katya into a tight hug. "But just this one time." Ginger nods with a smirk on her face.

"You'll enjoy it, I promise it."

•

Katya is still in the bathroom when she hears three knocks on the front door. She curses under her breath for her friends actually being punctual for once and opens the bathroom door with just a towel wrapped around her body, but then she sees Ginger already making her way to the door so she runs to her own bedroom quickly before she can open it.

The clock on her nightstand reads eight o'clock sharp. She quickly dresses, pulling on a pair of black tights, throwing on a red t-shirt dress that reads 'Bonjour' in white across the front of it and partners it with black thigh high boots. She smudges some black eyeshadow on her eyelids, coats her lashes with mascara and matches her outfit with a classic red lip.

"Look who decided to join us," Jason says from the kitchen door when they spot her, a red apple in one hand. "Are you ready, Katya?"

"Yes," she answers running a hand through her damp hair and watches as they take a bite of their apple. "Where's the girls?" Katya ask looking around the living room, where there is no sign of her friends.

"Getting shoes from Ginger's room," Jason answers slightly muffled due to the mouthful of fruit they have. Katya rolls her eyes when they grin at her cheekily.

She walks to the bathroom and starts blow-drying her hair while she waits for the other two girls to come out of Ginger's room. After ten minutes her hair is fully dry and she joins the rest of the group. After a couple more minutes, they are all on their way to Chuck's

Chuck's is a nice place with a good vibe, dim lights, a reasonable stage, a great live band and the performers tend to be fantastic. It had really stepped up its game since it came under new management.

Katya follows Ginger to the group's regular semi-circle booth, facing the stage. There aren't many people around considering it's early. Ginger scoffs at the performer currently butchering a Mariah Carey song while looking around trying to find any familiar faces. Her blue eyes light up when she sees a tall skinny figure at the side of the stage, seemly being the only one enjoying the performance going on.

"Max!" Ginger yells over the music, waving her hands to catch the guy's attention. Katya freezes besides her best friend as she calls over the stage hand, who will most definitely recognise her. Katya follows where Ginger is looking at with her eyes and soon sees a familiar grey-haired guy making his way over to them.

"Hi, guys," the tall guy greets them smiling at each one of Katya's friends before he lets his eyes linger a little bit on Katya's face. "Katya, it's so good to see you here!"

"You two know each other?" Willam questions with an arched brow.

"Yoga," Katya blurts out. "He goes to my yoga class." Katya looks at Max out of the corner of her eyes, silently begging him to go with the pre-planned bullshit.

"You go to yoga?" Willam asks clearly not buying it.

"Yeah, have been for a few weeks now." Max shrugs off the uncertainty as he straightens his back before looking at Ginger. "So, you finally managed to make her cave and come then?"

"Turns out it wasn't too difficult."

Katya can feel the panic rising in her throat so she politely excuses herself and strolls towards the bar. When she gets there, she spots Shea talking with a new blonde. Katya knows she is new because this is the first time she has ever seen her in Chuck's. The blonde is facing Katya's direction which allows her to study her face. Her hair is a honey blonde, whereas Katya's is more on the platinum side of the scale, and is pulled up onto the top of her head in to a large messy bun. Her makeup isn't the subtlest but then again, she is working in a dimly lit bar, not many people are going to comment on her face. Her eyeliner is thick with wing flicking upwards at the end, her lips look ever so slightly overdrawn and are neon pink from what Katya can tell. The girl perks up when she spots Katya at the end of the bar and excuses herself from the conversation. Shea turns to see where she was heading and smiles when she spots Katya.

"Hi, what can I get for you?" The blonde asks as she stares at Katya. If Katya thought she was beautiful from the small distance between them before, then she definitely thought she was beautiful with just the width of the bar counter between them.

"I'll get this one Trix, she gets a special order you'll learn soon enough." Shea shouts over to the blonde who glances over her shoulder and smiles.

The girl leans on the bar using her elbows as her support. From the angle and height Katya is sitting at on the barstool, and the new angle the girl is at, Katya has a perfect view of the girl's cleavage. Katya fights the urge to peak when Shea slides a small glass over to her.

"Poured a little something special in it for you tonight, just don't tell Pepp." Shea gave a weak smile as she pulls over the only stool they kept behind the bar that Katya normally sits on during quieter nights between sets. "How'd they convince you to come?"

Katya looks at the new girl as she took a sip who was watching and listening to Katya and Shea's interaction attentively. "Ginger backed me into a corner verbally, her speciality. Who's the new girl?"

Katya feels bad immediately because she didn't ask the girl directly herself. That was the thing with Katya when she knows someone she is fine, when she is performing she is fine, but when faced with new people she flakes.

"Katya, this is Trixie," Shea motions at the blonde behind the bar. "This is her first night."

Katya nods drinking more of her drink. "And Trix, this is Katya who is at the intersection of glamour and comedy. You can find her right on the corner, selling her ass."

Katya chuckles lightly. "Stop giving away all my secrets to newbies, Brenda." Katya looks at Trixie before speaking. "What she means is stick around long enough and you'll see me half-naked in front of a room of strangers."

Both Shea and Katya barks out laughter at Trixie, who has parted lips and wide eyes, clearly surprised. "Katya here, is the  _dancer_ I was telling you about." Trixie looks at Katya who smiles back at her. 

"You think you could tell Dan, to put on a batch of his famous fries?" Katya asks Shea who pushes herself off of the stool and goes through the small kitchen joined onto the bar leaving Katya and Trixie alone.

"So, what got you into your dancing?" Trixie asks, she seems sincere with her tone.

"Please don't call it dancing, it makes it seem proper and it isn't. But I needed money and Pepp knew me and when the spot opened up she got me it. I'm not proud of it but it pays the rent." Katya replies.

"I think, while it may not be the most appropriate thing in the world, it is still an art form." Trixie smiles as she pushes herself to stand up straight. "I, for one, can't wait to see you in action."

Katya almost chokes on her drink and almost spits it back at Trixie. "Besides, I'm not a dancer, I just move my body in a compelling way...compelling them to leave."

"Girl don't act brand new, you're the reason this place has seen a boom in customers." Shea joins the conversation again, this time also being joined by Peppermint. "Dan said they'll be right up and says to say hey."

Katya nods as she turns to look at Peppermint who had by now walked around to her side of the bar. "Hey Pepp."

"Hi, Kat, I've been told Ginger managed to convince you to come to the bar on your only day off." She stops to laugh. "You really can't say no to anyone can you?" Katya shrugs as she slides the glass back to Shea who catches it before it stops. "And you've met Trixie as well."

"We've talking about her dan-"

"Not dancing." Katya cuts her off before she can finish the word.

"We've been talking about her performances" Trixie says almost more as a question than a statement.

"Anyway. Pepp you don't happen to know anyone who needs a place to live do you?" Katya inquires.

"I might know someone, why, Vanessa leave or something?" Peppermint responds as she takes a seat next to Katya on a barstool. Katya nods looking to the side at her. 

"Are they female, clean, responsible, quiet and possibly funny but not too funny so Ginger won't feel threatened?" Katya asks as she rattles off the list they made at the apartment earlier.

"I'd say so, what do you say Trix, are you all of those things." Katya whips her head back to look at Trixie who resembles a doe who's just been startled and is looking to flee.

"Um, I guess?"

Katya looks back at her table and then back at Trixie. "If you can take a break you can meet the gang and I guess we'll see what happens from there."

Trixie likes to think of herself as a calm and collected person. That being said, she was a nervous wreck. She could fake it all she wanted but it didn't take very much to reduce her to an epitome of anxiety. After everything she had gone through with her step-father she had expected life to be easier, to have a thicker skin and be more confident, but that sadly wasn't the case. It was Peppermint who met her the first time she stepped into Chuck's.

Trixie had been cycling through the city when a car had driven through a puddle at an obnoxious speed right by her, soaking her from head to toe in the process. She was cold and beginning to shivering not used to just how cold it was yet. She had maybe wheeled her bike down a block or two before she came across a flyer advertising a job opening at a local bar. She didn't need much persuading after she read that she could start as soon as possible, after all, she needed a job until she found her big break in the music industry. After wheeling her way back to her shared apartment with two strangers she phoned in about an interview. 

Trixie remembers her first experience with Chuck's. It was a Thursday night, fairly early as far as bar standards go, some comedy act was on the stage. It smelt like old cigarettes and whiskey, was poorly lit, but it seemed cosy. It seemed like a place Trixie could see herself working at. Luckily, Chuck, the manager liked Trixie, something about her enthusiasm did the trick. She was leaving the office when she accidently bumped into a slightly smaller, gorgeous black woman. Pulling back Trixie apologised profusely as the women just beamed a smile at her. "It's ok, baby." She had said ending Trixie's apologises. She had given Trixie the once over before speaking again. The rest of the night Trixie had stayed tucked in by Peppermint's side, sitting on a stool stage-side where she met Max and watched Peppermint assassinate the stage. Trixie had never intended to stay past her interview but then she found Peppermint and was enthralled by her stage presence, it was that moment she decided even if she didn't get the job she'd still spend her time here. It would get her out of the house and away from her shitty roommates.

Luckily, Trixie did get the job and she would get paid to serve customers, be surrounded by good company and watch amazing talent. But with the money came higher expectations form her roommates, who had said as Trixie left tonight that  _part_ of her pay check will have to go towards rent now, and by part they will probably take it all. Peppermint introduced her to Shea when she arrived to Chuck's. The three have been talking since, until more customers started to come in.

Now Trixie was walking just behind Katya nodding her head to everything she was saying not really paying any mind to the words she was actually speaking. Occasionally she peaks over at Peppermint who was sticking two thumbs at her.  _Relax,_ Trixie thinks to herself,  _they'll think you're weird if you_ _don't._  In and out, slow and even, and Trixie will be fine. Except she isn't. She is in her head too much and she is bound to stumble on her wording and make a fool of herself just like she did in high school for all those years, and in college.

Katya stops abruptly and Trixie wonders if something is wrong. Maybe she has changed her mind and doesn't want Trixie potentially living with her. After all, they had just met. "Is something wrong?" Trixie inwardly cringes at how frail her voice sounds.

Katya turns on her heels to face Trixie with a blank expression on her face, completely unreadable. Trixie twirls the hem of her apron between her two hands as she rocks back and forth on the balls of her feet. Nervous habits she's picked up throughout the years. "No one besides Ginger knows I work here, and I'd like to keep it that way, okay?"

"Why don't-" Trixie's sentence drifts off when she sees Katya's expression. "Right, right, not proud. Got it!"

The two start walking again until they get back to the semi-circular booth the rest of the group is sitting at. Max has by now disappeared and the group are fully engrossed in the performer on stage. Trixie knew them to be a singer that goes by the name Adore most of the time. The group seems to notice Katya returning and taking her seat before they notice Trixie standing awkwardly until Katya pulls Trixie down to sit half on the chair, half off it. But Trixie doesn't complain no matter how uncomfortable she is because Katya is making an effort and that's more than most people do.

"Guys, meet Trixie." Katya snaps her fingers in front of a small ginger women's face before motioning to Trixie. The women eyes Trixie up suspiciously and it's enough to make Trixie's skin crawl.

"I thought you fell down the toilet for moment there," she says with a southern drawl to her voice to Katya before turning her gaze back to Trixie. "I'm Ginger and I apologise for anything this wacko has done."

Trixie plasters a small smile on her face and she can only hope it isn't coming across as too forced. "She's been a delight."

"That's a first," Ginger laughs.

"Ginger how soon is too soon to start living with someone," Katya asks whilst playing with a napkin that was on the table in front of her. The group is quiet as they all share a similar sense of confusion. 

"What are you planning?" Trixie shifts in her seat trying to remain unfazed, but Ginger's tone has the slightest slither of something uncertain that threw Trixie off.

"Because I think Trixie could be our new roommate."


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope updates will be kind of regular and be every Monday but some weeks might be slightly late or missed depending on workload. I really do hope people are liking this fic as it has slowly taken over my life.

The rest of the night is spent between forcing Trixie to make drinks, eating food and getting to know each other. They had spent around an hour talking to Trixie at the table before Shea finally got fed up by herself when the rush of customers came. Ginger and Trixie had hit it off right away, bouncing jokes – mainly targeted towards Katya, but not in malicious way and they even had her chuckling – back and forth. They learned all about Trixie's shitty living situation and agreed immediately she'd start packing tomorrow. Ginger saw it as being a knight in shining armour and Trixie didn't do much to deflate her ego. Katya, for the most part, sat quietly enjoying watching the dynamic between the two grow whilst getting to know more about the busty blonde.

By the end of the night Katya discovered she was the only one laughing at Trixie's more left field jokes. On the walk back home, Katya can't stop smiling. She doesn't know if anyone else notices it but they don't say anything about and she is forever grateful for it. She's surprised with herself because of how easily she bonded with Trixie, she didn't make friends easily, and yes, Trixie is nowhere near being her friend yet, but she wants her to be.

"See? It wasn't that bad, look at how happy you are," Courtney states walking beside her. Katya keeps her eyes focused on where she was going but she nods her head.

"Not at all," Katya confesses before sighing deeply.

"I feel like everything is going to change for you, you know?" The Aussie mutters looking right ahead of her.

Katya looks at her when they stop to wait to cross the street. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" She questions raising her eyebrows.

"Changes are scary, but I hope for you that it's great."

When she gets home Katya realises what Courtney meant by things were going to change for her. There is an immense change in disposition within her.

She notices feelings that weren't there in the beginning of the night, ones only present with the vivid memory of Trixie in her head. It goes from her lips to her eyes, from her wide smile to her nervous expression, and it goes from her words to her actions and all that is in between.

Katya has always been in check with her own feelings and it scares her when she doesn't know what one of them means. This feeling? The one Trixie makes her feel? That feeling is scaring the hell out of her. Not because she doesn't know what it means, because she's not stupid, she knows what it potentially means. But because soon Trixie would be living with her, under the same roof 24/7. Katya has never been the best with romantic feelings, she tends to push them aside but with Trixie living here in just under 24 hours, Katya doesn't know how she'll manage. 

The sun pours through the cracks in the blinds that Katya really needs to replace and cascades light onto her face. She can’t deny it was a nice wake up, if only it wasn’t currently seven o’clock in the morning on a Saturday. On Saturdays she normally slept until around nine before getting up and doing her usual routine. She has to shut off her alarm before it rings out later at a blaring rate and ultimately wakes Ginger up before noon, something she has learned she better not do – so now she has gotten into a habit of waking up before her alarm. Her body was used to waking up five minutes before nine but not two hours before _._ _My_ _morning routine will have to be adapted for today_ , she thinks to herself as she stretches her arms as high as she can above her head before bringing them down to her toes. She does this every morning and then afterwards she pads through to the kitchen and brews a fresh pot of coffee. She’ll pour her first of many cups of coffee and carry it back to her bedroom. As she drinks the coffee she’ll flick through a few pages of her current read. This month's book is a lengthy autobiography by a man she’s never heard of but she picked it up because of his cool moustache. Turns out he isn’t that interesting but Katya has never not finished a book she picks up.

When her mug is empty and she can’t bear to think any longer about astrophysics she closes her book, places the book back in its place on the nightstand, and cracks her back.  _It’s such a bad habit,_ her mother always told her growing up when she’d do it after practise, but she never did listen to her mother much. Checking her phone Katya groans when she sees it’s only eight.

Swinging her legs off the bed, Katya pushes herself up, grabbing the empty mug and walks back through to the kitchen. She places the mug in the sink to be washed later and grabs an apple from the fruit bowl, something to occupy her for a little while.

Sitting on the couch crossed legged Katya switches the TV on and instantly goes to turn the sound down, not before scrunching her shoulders up and nose in disgust at the volume of the TV. She settles on a news channel, it’ll give her something to go off on a tangent about in between practises later. She occasionally takes bites from her apple as listens vaguely to whatever the people on the news are saying, by this point the TV is merely background noise to Katya as she is in deep thought. She’d probably see Trixie tonight and probably have to perform in front of her. If not when she got home from work some of Trixie’s stuff would be there probably alongside Trixie.

When the clock in the bottom left corner of the TV screen read eight-thirty Katya decided enough was enough and she’d just go to work earlier today. That’s when her usual morning routine was back in track. After discarding the apple core in the bin, Katya poured herself another cup of coffee, this time with a lot more milk and sugar. She hated black coffee, but it woke her up whatever the time was in instances like weekends, she’d find herself needing the black coffee first thing. Any cup after that was had to be to her liking, a shit ton of milk and a generous sprinkling of sugar. The amount of caffeine Katya consumed in a day was borderline unhealthy.

Raking through the almost bare breakfast cupboard Katya managed to scavenge enough cereal to survive her until she’d get her lunch at Chuck’s. She leaves Ginger a note before she leaves that they would have to go shopping tomorrow before carrying her bowl, along with her second cup of coffee, to the living room. If Ginger was awake she’d scold Katya for sitting on the couch with her breakfast instead of at the table.

Katya wasn’t the type to take too long eating breakfast, when people pointed out her speed at eating she’d explain how bored she got. Resting her bowl on the coffee table next to her mug she took another sip of her coffee. Sliding off the couch Katya landed with a soft thud on the floor. Growing up doing gymnastics her mother always made her stretch in the morning, and it was something she carried on to adulthood.

Reaching her arms above her head she brought them down to touch her toes, she flexes her toes as she tries to pull her nose as close to her knees as she can. After she has held that pose for around thirty seconds she straightens her back but keeps her legs out in front of her. She cranes her neck whilst rotating both her wrists and ankles. 

Katya continues her stretching for another fifteen minutes before grabbing her dishes and walking through to the kitchen. She always liked to do her dishes before leaving to save Ginger a job later on. Two mugs, a bowl and a spoon later and Katya is heading back to her room to gather her stuff together.

Once Katya is ready to leave she slings her duffel bag over her shoulder, grabs the pack of cigarettes on her dresser along with the lighter balancing on top of it and shuts her bedroom door behind her. She isn't sure if she'll be here when Trixie first comes by so she decides to close the door in case she isn't. It not like her room is messy but she has an odd attachment to her room being somewhere strictly for her, and her only. Even Ginger would rarely go in her room. Walking through the hallway Katya gives the living room the once over before straightening up one of the cushions on the couch and picks up her car keys. She has time today to fuss around with her car that is on its last legs, if she doesn't get it to a garage soon it'll most likely completely give out on her.

The drive to Chuck's takes double the time it takes her to walk there and Katya knows she should have probably just walked but she was planning on killing two birds with one stone and go shopping for some things to tide them over until tomorrow. Not to mention she felt intimated by the knowledge Trixie was officially moving in on Monday and would be dropping off her stuff over the next two days. Katya needed for this time to go better than it did with Vanessa so she was determined to make the effort, buy things with Trixie in consideration, and show Ginger she is capable of doing it. But with Trixie it already seemed less daunting, like there was already a strong connection.

Walking through the back-door Katya could hear the bustling in the kitchen already taking place. The staffroom smelt faintly of coffee and cigarettes when Katya walks in. She is stuffing her duffel bag into her locker when she hears a low-whistle. Turning her head so she is looking over her shoulder she sees Shea holding a magazine. She is still fighting with her duffel bag when she sees Trixie walk into the staffroom. Whipping her head back around so she doesn't meet Trixie's eyes, Katya lets out a high-pitch noise as her duffel bag comes crashing down on top of her. Sighing she drops her head as she tries desperately not to run. She hears Shea's cackle ring in her ears and can only guess she is bright red right now. A few minutes pass before she sees an arm reaching for the duffel bag and the arm picks it up off the floor. Katya lifts her head and watches as Trixie closes the locker and locks it. The taller blonde turns around with a smile on her face as she extends the hand holding the keyring. "Here you go," she says with a light giggle. Katya can't help the small smile that creeps onto her face as she hears the sound.

"Thanks," Katya rushes out taking the keyring out of Trixie's hand in more of a snatching fashion. The smaller girl quickly left before she could embarrass herself further. Maybe it wasn't going to be easy to live with Trixie.

Walking out to the bar Katya's eyes found Peppermint sitting with Max on the stage. Katya hurriedly walked to the stage and took the last empty stool. "Hello, Katya." Max greets the blonde as she sat down. "Hi, Kat." Peppermint beamed.

"Hey, guys." Katya huffed as she pulls her legs up so her feet are resting against the bar of the stool.

"You're here early." Peppermint states as she looks at her watch. Katya shrugs as she picks at the tight fabric of her yoga pants. "Woke up earlier, I'm not clocked in yet," Katya drifts off.

"Find Trixie yet?" Max asks with a kinked brow. Katya was slightly confused until she realises Max is doing the same thing Ginger normally does. She groans as she looks up at the ceiling. "I'm taking that as a yes."

"I literally ran away from her after she witnessed my duffel falling on me," Katya sighed. "Great impression I'm making of myself."

Peppermint and Max both share a look before laughing at Katya's misfortune. Katya, meanwhile, just holds her head in her hands. "You two done yet?" Katya asks a few minutes of them laughing at her, this only makes them laugh slightly more. 

"Sorry, it's just it's so  _you,_ Kat, it hurts." Peppermint smiles once she stops laughing. Max stops just after Peppermint does.

"You should get lunch then clock in." Max suggests before turning to his phone.

Katya nods for no one in particular as she stands up from the stool and heads to the bar where Shea is now standing. Shea has a smirk on her face when Katya approaches. "Not going to drop a bag on your head again, are you?" Shea teased as Katya took a seat on a bar stool.

"Shut up," Katya grumbles. "Just get me my lunch." Katya says sternly.

"Ouch, someone's grouchy." Shea mutters before she walks back into the kitchen. Katya plays with a napkin, tearing it up into small pieces, to pass the time until her food is ready. Around ten or so minutes must have passed before Katya hears footsteps approaching her. Looking up Katya instantly wants to hide again, of course Shea would send Trixie out with the food.

"I'm safe to leave you with this plate and you won't drop it, right?" Trixie giggled, her teasing wasn't like Shea's though, she was more joking and light-hearted with her comment. Trixie pulled up the stool behind the bar and took a seat. Taking a leaf of lettuce into her mouth, Katya stares at Trixie.  _Great,_ Katya thinks as she watches Trixie lean on the bar. "So, what are you doing at work so early?"

Katya swallows her mouthful of lettuce before speaking, "I normally come in at around this time to rehearse and sound check." Katya explains picking up her sandwich to begin eating. Trixie nods playing with the straws in the container in front of her behind the bar. The pair sit in silence while Katya eats her lunch. "So why are you here this early?"

"Shea wanted to show me what the early haul was like, plus it is easier for Ginger to come get me." Trixie explains.

"How much are you planning on moving into the apartment today?" Katya asks as she pushes the plate to the side so she can lean on the bar.

"Hopefully most of the stuff aside from the stuff I'll still need at the old place," Trixie says. "Then the rest of the stuff I can just bring with me on Monday but if it's ok, I'll come unpack tomorrow."

"That should be fine, we'll be going shopping tomorrow to get some stuff so just tell Ginger anything you'll need and we can get it," Katya begins. "But for now, I should go clock in and start prep work for tonight."

 •

Trixie leaves not long after Katya starts. She leaves without remembering to ask for Katya's number, the night before she was given Ginger's number but got called back to work before she had a chance to get Katya's. It, however, came in handy having at least Ginger's number today so she knows when she is good to start moving in. She leaves when Ginger texts her saying she is on her way to pick her up. She says her 'see you later'-s before clocking out and exits by the back door. Ginger shows up a few minutes later wearing a shit-eating grin on her face as she sits behind the wheel of a white van. Trixie opens the passenger side and slides in, "If I didn't meet you yesterday I'd be concerned you were going to kidnap me with that smile on your face."

"You should be thankful I even have this van, Katya took her car to work today." Ginger fires back before putting the van into reverse and driving back onto the road. "Now, where to?"

Trixie tells the other women her address and it isn't long before they're on their way at a good speed. They encounter some lunch time traffic along the way but the journey is full of chatting and music. Finally, the pair pull up on the road right by Trixie's apartment. "I have some of my stuff packed, I just have a little more to do," Trixie explains as they walk into the apartment. Books are strewn everywhere with little piles of stuff littering the floor and one of the couches. The apartment looks something similar to Vanessa's old room, and Trixie's soon-to-be room, yesterday.

"You own more shit than I anticipated," Ginger nervously laughs scratching her head.

"We only have a few more hours until I have to be back at work, so if we can get as much as we can move today and I'll swing by tomorrow to start unpacking or move the rest of the stuff." Trixie says as she steps towards one of the piles sitting by an open box.

Ginger does the same as they begin to sort out some things. It shouldn't take soon the too long as long as they work together and don't spend too much time faffing around they could easily get it all packed in less than half an hour. But they don’t finish in under thirty minutes, they take forty-five. They carry box by box to the van until it's full for its first trip. They end up taking two full trips, with Trixie holding a potted plant on the second in the front, before all of Trixie’s stuff in at the apartment. She only has the essential things left behind as she says goodbye to Ginger and heads back to Chuck's for the night.

•

Katya’s rehearsals went well after clearing her head from her embarrassing encounter with Trixie. It’s not like she had a lot to rehearse for tonight, just a sound check to run and a little warm-up to complete, she did manage to get a new set sorted out. Now she’s relaxing on the lonely stool behind the bar as Shea wipes down the counter. “You looking forward to Monday?” Shea asks with a small smirk on her face as she looks at Katya, who is sitting with her head slightly tilted as she racks her brain. “Trixie’s moving in,” Shea says prying a reaction out of the blonde. "Did you really already?”

“No!” Katya rushes out as she sits more upright. “I mean, I don’t know, I-"

“She’s really done a number on you already, huh?” Shea questions as puts the cloth and spray back underneath the bar, she swivels around and leans on her hands which are on the bar. “She’s just different, getting along with her is easy.” Katya huffs as she looks at the clock absentmindedly checking how long is left before Trixie’s shift starts. At least with her being there will maybe ease the situation.

It doesn’t.

Trixie comes bumbling in muttering about rain as she shakes her head. Water droplets fly everywhere as Trixie smiles at Peppermint with a sad expression, Peppermint seems to understand what Trixie is trying to convey and walks with her into the bathroom. Katya trains her eyes to stare at the stage as she desperately tries to not think about the fact Trixie will be watching her perform for the first time. The early set of customers begin to stumble in as the opening act for the night, Trinity, takes the stage. Katya remembers when she first met Trinity, she could barely understand what she was saying. Trinity was a good performer, lip syncing, dancing and comedy sometimes. She was a good opener for Bianca. Their enemies-to-friends relationship was amusing for outsiders to watch. Katya can recall the night backstage where Peppermint and she would have a good chuckle at Trinity’s and Bianca’s arguments. Bianca often poked fun at Trinity in her sets, usually it was in a cruel intention but now it was meant strictly as a joke. Trinity had truly grown on Bianca like a rash.

Halfway through Trinity’s set Peppermint and Trixie emerge from the bathroom. Trixie looks different now, her makeup is touched up – no more running eyeliner or mascara – and her eyelashes are bigger – probably due to false eyelashes. She’s scraped her hair back into a ponytail and it somewhat drier than it did before. Most noticeably her white shirt she was wearing has been traded out for a pink jumper that’s been rolled up at the sleeves. "How much did we miss?" Peppermint asks with a small as she sits in front of the bar.

"Not much, right Katya?" Shea encourages as she makes herself busy at the other end of the bar. Trixie looks at Katya with a raised brow before looking at the stage. "Trinity's just warming them up, she's probably got about half her set still. I should probably go get ready," she states, excusing herself as quickly as possible from the situation. Walking through the crowd is kind of like a minefield, expect less dangerous. Katya has to dodge the people coming in to see Bianca and the others heading towards the male bathroom, but eventually she makes it to the backstage dressing room. It's small and cramped and Katya knows Peppermint and Shea are both mentally laughing at her because they know how she only goes into the room after hearing Bianca's opening joke. But she doesn't care what they have to say about her behaviour, she needs to focus on getting ready and clearing her head of a particular blonde.

Katya is usually not right about how people are feeling but she is right about Shea and Peppermint in that moment. At the bar, Peppermint smiles endearingly at the direction Katya rushed off in, she looks almost like a mother trying not to laugh at something so adorably awkward that their kid did. Shea, on the other hand, can't contain her laughter as she full on laughs. Trixie is confused by what is so funny but quickly a flood of customers piles up at the bar to distract her.

Once she has served maybe her tenth customer of the night Trixie has some time to properly pay attention to Bianca's comedy set, which began somewhere in the middle of the wave of orders. Trixie figures sets must last too long because Trinity hadn't seemed to be on the stage too long. "After this it's our girl," Shea leans over whilst wiping a glass dry and quietly speaks. Trixie nods as she settles down the glass she had just wiped and looks intently at the stage. She didn't quite know what to expect from tonight. "It's usually a bit wild and unpolished on a Saturday," Shea adds with a smirk as Trixie lightly nods.

•

Unpolished was definitely a word Trixie might use to describe the performance she had just witnessed. Other than that, she doesn't quite know how to describe what she is feeling. She can sense Shea by her side and she can guess she is probably wearing her signature smirk as Trixie stands rooted to the spot with her mouth hanging wide. "You'll catch flies," Shea teases as she goes to serve a customer. Trixie luckily didn't drop the glass she was drying when Katya started her performance. In total she did three numbers, each progressively getting worse compared to the last, and worse was not good for Trixie who had a job to hold. 

She sees a blonde ponytail bob as the energetic women it belongs to comes bouncing back to the bar. Katya seems to be in a better mood than she was before maybe getting whatever tension she seemed to hold out in her set helped. "Traaaccccyyyy," she sings as she moves to sit on the bar.

"What can I get you?" Trixie can't help the small laugh that escapes her lips as she looks at the smaller women in front of her.

"My usual," Katya grins as raises a hand to push back her fringe out of her face. When she fails Trixie reaches over and gently tucks the loose strand behind her ear, her fingers linger carefully behind Katya's ear for a few seconds before the taller women realise how intimate the situation looks and retracts her hand as if she had been burnt. Lowering her head Trixie mumbles something about the usual as she goes to busy herself. Katya looks to Shea and sees her giving Katya a knowing look. Trixie comes back a few minutes later, drink in hand. "Here you go," she says as she slides the drink to the other women. "Anything else?"

"What did you think of the first night of set performances?" Katya inquires before taking a sip of drink through the straw.

"They were good." Trixie responds.

"What about mine?" Katya seems more uncertain about whether or not she wants an answer to the question. Trixie stands up straighter as she shifts on her feet. "Well, honestly, I'm a little disappointed." Trixie says wearing a blank expression and Katya wants nothing more to shrink away until Trixie adds on with a chuckle, "Shea promised me wild, and I felt it to be quite tame."

Katya looks at her with a smile, "Tame, huh?" She wheezes slightly as she grasps onto the bar for support. Her knuckles turn white from how hard she's grasping and Trixie can't help but zone on the way the muscles in Katya's arms flex and contract as she moves. "Anymore critique distinguished judge?"

"Well actually know you ask, I feel like the whole Britney thing you were going for fell flat. I've seen it done before back in college and now watching you was like Britney at 45." Trixie says in a monotone voice before cracking and throwing her head back as she laughs. Katya is wheezing too but stops before Trixie in just enough time to see her adam's apple bob as she laughs. She knows it's best not to ask, so she doesn't, she just silently acknowledges it and moves on.

"You got me there, bitch!" Katya replies with a wide smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come say hi to me @unhhhhjustsometrash on tumblr :)

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi to me @unhhhhjustsometrash on tumblr :)


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